Attendance by a Club Member is required to be awarded District or International Grants. The Refresher is for Grant Managers trained previously. The Full Course is for new Grant Managers. Contact Don Meyer for additional information. donald.meyer@wartburg.edu

The Toronto conference has a great opening weekend planned, with Opening Sessions, House of Friendship. More sessions follow on Monday - Wednesday.

There is time to registerstarting here. The final registration discount for Toronto ends March 31. Or look at the Toronto program to consider a similar, FUTURE International Conference. (2019 Hamburg, 2020 Hawaii).

We'd like to know what you would like to learn about The Rotary Foundation. Please feel free to email me or call me anytime to let me know what you, our 5970 Rotarians, need from the District 5970 Foundation Committee. mlbelldg2019@gmail.com

Grant Management Seminars set for March 24 (Waverly) and March 31 (Garner)

You may register for the seminar on our District 5970 website. Click on the “Calendar" (top of our Home Page):

Rotary International is launching a campaign called, “Countdown to History.” Goals were set and pledges were made, and we can’t do it without you, as Rotarians. We are asking for Rotarians across District 5970 to give a minimum of $40 to End Polio Now. This will get our District to the goal set by Rotary International.

Eight northern Iowa Rotary clubs are part of an international project to provide clean water access to 46 communities in Haiti.

The Marion-East Cedar Rapids, Algona, Mason City, Humboldt, Mason-City River Sunrise, Garner, Bancroft Area and Cedar Valley Rotary Clubs and Rotary District 5970 contributed more than $56,000 to the estimated $722,000 cost of the project.

A Global Grant from Rotary International plus contributions from Haiti Outreach and Rotary clubs in Haiti, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Tennessee support the Rotary Pignon Sustainable Clean Water Access Project.

“This is what Rotary is all about, changing lives and doing good in the world,” said District 5970 District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair Michelle Bell of Marion. Bell and eight other Rotarians from Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois traveled to Pignon in November 2017 to built relationships with Haitian Rotarians, Haiti Outreach leadership and government representatives. This past December, the project reached its first milestone with five well dedications/inaugurations.

In all, the project will build 19 new community-managed wells and rehabilitate 27 dysfunctional wells over a two-year period. A community management program for sustainability is part of each well installation. In addition, all 46 communities will receive sanitation and hygiene education as well as a latrine for every household.

Bell said 90 percent of residents of the commune of Pignon will have access to potable water within 500 meters of their homes.

“This is history in the making,” Bell said of the Rotary project, noting that Pignon will become the first commune in Haiti to receive such a gift.

Suellen Kolbet of New Hampton will succeed John Last of Mason City as Executive Secretary for Rotary District 5970, effectiveJuly 1. Our District encompasses 53 Rotary clubs across the northern half of Iowa.

District Executive Secretary John Last will continue to support the District and Clubs until the transition is complete on July 1. Continue to contact John.

“I am looking forward to having Suellen on the District 5970 team,” District Governor Smith said. “Her professional experience, her dedication to Rotary and her positive attitude will provide a great contribution to our district.”

Suellen Kolbet is a University of Northern Iowa graduate with a degree in office administration. She returned to her hometown of New Hampton to accept a position as financial clerk. She spent 10 years as deputy city clerk and became city clerk in 1994. She will retire from that position on May 25.

She joined the New Hampton Rotary Club in 1994 and was club president in 2001-02. Suellen has been the club’s secretary/treasurer since 2001. This year, she completed two decades of service as Chickasaw County representative on the United States Selective Service Board. She also serves on the New Hampton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Iowa League of Cities Executive Board.

John Last became the District 5970 executive director in 2004. He is an active member of the River City Sunrise Rotary Club in Mason City.

Our donations should include Rotary Foundation. But did you know of the Iowa-based Rotary Action Group "Club Foot Rotary Action Group"?

Please view this 60 second video, read further and consider RAG4Clubfoot. You could give "Iowa's Gift to the World!" https://youtu.be/EPj1gGVArBg

“Contact Patty Roberts of the RAG4Clubfoot Board to arrange for a speaker at your Rotary club. Speakers are available to present in all parts of Iowa. Contact Patty by phone at ‭(502) 494-0402‬ or at patriciaroberts7@icloud.com.”

Success in membership growth and retention, foundation fundraising, youth activities and community support earned Rotary District 5970 a prestigious 2016-17 Presidential Citation. Seven Rotary clubs in the district also qualified for the hard-to-achieve recognition.

JOIN A PROJECT

PARTNER WITH US

We work with groups and organizations of all sizes to accomplish even more.

DISCOVER NEW CULTURES

Discover and celebrate diverse perspectives with a global organization.

About Rotary District 5970

Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back.

Our club accepts new members by invitation.

Rotary at a Glance

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels.

Contact Us

Keep in touch, or reach out to us from via our social media websites!

All materials and photos, unless otherwise specified, copyright of Rotary District 5970.All Rotary marks, logos, and copyrighted content is owned by Rotary International, used with permission.